Never Second Rate
by Eunice Branca
Summary: Sequel to "Ray of Sunlight"...SetoxJou
1. Eleven Days

**Never Second Rate – Chapter One**

Disclaimer:  I don't own YuGiOh!

            Joey glanced up from his book to look at the blue-eyed beauty sitting across the library.  Joey admired the casual way he draped one long leg over the other, slouching down in his chair with his elbows propped on the armrests.  He held the book he was reading loosely in his hands, his head cocked to one side as if he were pondering the messages contained between its bound covers.

Sighing heavily, he tried to return to the research he was supposed to be using this class period for, but soon found it impossible to concentrate.

            "What's wrong, Joey?" Yugi asked, concern filling his wide eyes.

            "Nothing, just trying to focus," Joey said, using his normally short attention span as a reasonable excuse.

            If his report were about one Seto Kaiba, he would certainly bring home an A, since that was all he could think about these past eleven days.  For that was how long it had been since that wonderful rain sprinkled kiss they had shared in Kaiba's front yard.

            Eleven days was also how long it had been since either of them had mentioned that kiss, or even mentioned the fact that it had ever happened.  Things went back to normal – or as normal as they could with the obvious tension that was brewing between the two boys.

            And then there was the fact that he couldn't just turn off the feelings he still held for Tristan.  True, his feelings for Kaiba ran longer and deeper, but with Kaiba ignoring the fact that anything had happened, Joey couldn't help but wonder if he regretted what they'd done.

            Needless to say, Joey Wheeler was one confused puppy.

            Looking across the room once more in hopes of making eye contact, Joey found Kaiba seemingly absorbed in his book, and finally gave up and attempted to return to his work once more.

                                                            * * * * *

            Seto Kaiba stared longingly at the blond splendor which lay sprawled on the library floor across the room.  It was endearing the way his legs were bent at the knee, feet pointing towards the ceiling as they swayed nonchalantly back and forth.  His chin was propped heavily in both hands, elbows digging into the carpet below him.  His eyebrows were furrowed as if in concentration, and Kaiba longed to brush that unruly lock of hair away from those tender golden eyes.

            For eleven days, Kaiba had been longing to do one thing or another to Joey Wheeler, not all of it appropriate for younger audiences.  But for eleven days, Kaiba had also been behaving as if the best day of his life had never happened.  You see, Kaiba wanted to be with Joey, but he wanted to be Joey's first choice, not a runner up to that pointy-headed crush Joey had told him about moments before their wonderful kiss.  So until Kaiba was sure that Joey no longer held feelings for Tristan, things would continue exactly as they had for eleven days.

            No matter how much it hurt.  

Note:  Sorry this chapter was so short.  Trust me, the ones to come are much longer.


	2. To Hell With Rational Thoughts

Never Second Rate – Chapter Two 

Disclaimer:  I don't own YuGiOh!

            "Hurry up, Seto, I want to make a snowman before dinner!" Mokuba Kaiba cried out as he waited for his brother to approve his outdoor gear.

            The elder Kaiba brother took his time, assuring that zippers were done and gloves were in place.  He didn't want Mokuba catching cold in this dreadful weather.  Dreary fall had turned into frosty winter within a matter of weeks, and Kaiba knew that a sudden change in weather often left Mokuba in bed, which in turn produced a very bored Mokuba, which could quickly lead to a very annoyed Seto.  And nobody wanted Seto more annoyed than necessary.  Including Seto himself.

            Finally, inspection completed, Kaiba turned Mokuba loose to go make snow angels and snow men, and have snowball fights with the neighbor kids.  Sighing, Seto turned toward his study to get some work done.

            "Big brother," a small voice called from the front door.  Mokuba stood with one gloved hand resting on the handle.  "Will you come out and play with me?"

            The hopeful look in Mokuba's eyes were almost enough for Seto to break down then and there and go outside to play with his treasured younger brother.  Almost.  But the side that overpowered these feelings told him to be mature and try to get some work done.

            "Sorry, Mokuba.  I've got work to do."  With that, he spun on his heel and headed down the hall, leaving a crushed younger brother to go outside and play in the snow alone.

            Stepping inside his office, Kaiba realized that from the big picture window he could watch his little brother play from the warmth of the house.  Smiling, he made his way across the room, slowing when he saw what Mokuba was doing. 

            Mokuba was trying, without success, to roll the large lower portion of a snowman across the snow-covered lawn.  There were no neighbor kids trying to help him; poor Mokuba was playing all alone.

            Taking a deep breath, Kaiba headed back to the entryway.  Pulling a warm jacket and gloves out of the coat closet, he bundled himself up less meticulously than he had Mokuba and headed out into the freezing weather.

            Slapping his gloved hands together, Kaiba stopped just behind his younger brother.  "Okay, Mokie, where do we start?"

            "Seto!" the raven-haired boy squealed with delight.  Seeing Mokuba's face light up at the sight of his older brother was well worth the chill in Kaiba's bones, the risk of pneumonia, and it was even worth the late night he would surely have to pull in order to catch up on the work he was now neglecting.

            Kaiba soon lost all thoughts of work as he and Mokuba made a snowman, complete with a carrot nose and stone mouth and eyes.  Kaiba even sculpted a top hat on his head out of snow.  

            When "Sub-Zero," as Mokuba named him after his favorite video game, was finished, the two boys began making an ice fort.  Kaiba couldn't remember having this much fun since…well…ever.

            "Hey, Kaiba!" a voice called out from the sidewalk nearby.  Seto turned at the sound of his name, just in time to feel a snowball smack into his face.  "Catch!"

            Wiping snow from his eyes and nostrils, Kaiba looked up to see Joey and Yugi doubled over laughing on the sidewalk.  He turned back to look at Mokuba standing wide-eyed behind him, surely afraid that he would be angry and this would be the end of their fun day.

            Giving Mokuba a small smirk to show he wasn't mad, he kneeled to pretend he was talking to Mokuba, using his body to shield the snowball he was packing.  "Let's get 'em."

            Mokuba's eyes grew smaller as an enormous grin spread across his face.  He took off after Yugi, who squealed and tried to run while picking up snow to hurl at Mokuba.

            Seto rounded slowly to look at Joey, who was looking at him with a small smile on his lips.  The two boys stood still for a moment, each staring at the other in anticipation of what was to come.  Seto was the first to move, dashing towards Joey who soon took off in the opposite direction.

            Joey was certainly fast, but Seto was faster and soon caught up with him.  Kaiba tackled him to the ground, stuffing snow down his shirt all the while.  Joey squirmed beneath him, so Seto pinned his arms down at his sides, causing their faces to come within mere inches of each other.  Seto could feel Joey's warm breath mingle with his own; he could smell the spicy scent of the apple cider Joey had drank at Yugi's house before they came over.

            As Kaiba was intoxicated by the warm honey color in Joey's eyes, he began to contemplate kissing the boy here and now, while they were in such perfect position to do so.  Just as he began to close his eyes and do what he'd been longing to do again for far too long, he heard the sound of snow crunching beneath two pairs of boots, followed by a breathless inquiry made by Yugi.

            "Are you two okay?" he panted.  "Looks like you took a nasty spill."

            Kaiba leaped off of Joey, swiping at the snow on his pants before facing Yugi and his brother.  "I'm fine.  You okay, Joey?" he asked.

            Blinking, Joey hesitated before standing up himself.  "Aside from the snow in my underwear, I'm great!"

            The silence was very awkward then, and Joey and Kaiba were looking everywhere they could except for at each other.

            "Seto, I'm cold," Mokuba said, breaking the silence and shivering for effect.

            Wrapping an arm around the small form, Seto led him toward the house.  "Let's go inside and get some cocoa."  Mokuba perked up at this; his brother's cocoa was one of the best things about cold weather.  Looking back, Kaiba gestured toward Yugi and Joey.  "You two are more than welcome to come inside and warm up, if you'd like."

            The four boys headed inside to the kitchen, where Seto began digging through cupboards to find an appropriate saucepan.  As he set the milk on the stove to heat, Joey nervously tapped him on the shoulder.

            "Um, Kaiba?" he asked.  "Do you have a shirt or something I could borrow while mine dries?"  Kaiba looked at Joey, realizing that the snow he'd dumped down his shirt had melted, causing his entire back to become sopping wet.

            Laughing, Kaiba led Joey towards the stairs.  "Watch the milk for me, okay Mokie?"  Mokuba nodded and bounced over to the stove, taking his brother's request literally.

            Once inside the bedroom, Joey closed the door behind him out of habit.  Kaiba opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a white undershirt, tossing it at Joey.  Joey looked at Kaiba for a moment, then pulled his soaked shirt over his head.

            Kaiba's heart began beating faster at the short glimpse he got of Joey's well-muscled body before he pulled the dry shirt on.  Kaiba's shirt was a little too small for Joey, practically clinging to his form.

            For the second time that day, the two boys locked gazes.  And once again, Kaiba closed the gap between them, instinct once again taking over his normally rational mind.  Seems that his thought process was lost once Joey Wheeler entered a room.

            Pinning Joey's elbows against the wall, Seto's eyes hungrily drank in the sight of his affections dressed in his clothing.  Hesitating once again, realizing that this would ruin everything he'd thought long and hard about, that it was Tristan that Joey really wanted to be with, Seto was very surprised when he felt tender lips claim his own.  All thoughts lost once again, Seto closed his eyes and ran with instinct for a change.


	3. Of Cocoa and Circus Acts

Never Second Rate – Chapter Three 

Disclaimer:  I don't own YuGiOh!

            Stirring the chocolate powder into the steaming milk in his mug, Yugi looked up at Mokuba, who was climbing all over the countertops looking for something in the cupboards above.

            "Doesn't your brother get mad if you stand up there?" Yugi asked as Mokuba slammed one door and opened the one next to it, rifling through its contents.

            "No," he said simply.

            "But doesn't he worry you'll fall and break your neck?  I mean, he seems kind of protective and all."

            "No," Mokuba repeated.

            Yugi shrugged and went back to stirring his cocoa.  The two boys had decided to go ahead and start their drinks when the milk started bubbling and Kaiba and Joey had yet to return from upstairs.  Or rather, Mokuba had gotten impatient for his cocoa and served Yugi a cup while he was pouring his own.

            Glancing back up as Mokuba began crawling over the stove top, Yugi went back to his line of questioning.  "So, your brother won't let you go outside without bundling you up like it's the North Pole outside, but he doesn't care if you play trapeze artist in the kitchen?"

            "I can't be a trapeze artist without a trapeze, but Seto doesn't care if I climb on the counters because he doesn't know I do it.  He'd have a heart attack if he saw me do this," Mokuba stated, jumping to the floor with a package of marshmallows triumphantly held above his head.  "He's pretty uptight most of the time.  It kind of drives me crazy."

            "I can see that.  I'd go nuts if Grandpa was half as tense as Kaiba is." Yugi dropped a few of the marshmallows into his cocoa.

            "Well, he only does it because he cares about me, you know.  He's the only parent I have, and a lot of single parents who are way older don't do nearly as good a job of taking care of their children –"

            "Okay, Mokuba, I get it," Yugi looked up, seeing how worked up Mokuba was getting.  "I know Kaiba's a great big brother.  I just think he needs to loosen up a bit, don't you?"

            "Yeah, well, he's gotten better since he started hanging out with you guys.  Friends is something he never 'allowed' himself to have before," Mokuba replied, sipping his cocoa and ending up with a chocolate mustache above his lip.  Licking it off dramatically he looked much younger than his actual years.  The way Mokuba spoke and the way he acted were so drastically different in their level of maturity.

            "Are you hungry?" Mokuba asked suddenly, jumping up from his stool at the counter.  "Seto promised we could order pizza tonight, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you and Joey stayed for dinner.  I'll go make sure it's okay."  With that Mokuba bolted out of the kitchen without waiting for Yugi to answer.

            Shaking his head, Yugi turned his attention back to his mug of cocoa.  It really was a damn good cup of chocolate.

* * * * *

            Mokuba dashed up the stairs, trying to take them two at a time like his brother always did, but his legs were rather shorter than those of the elder Kaiba's.  By the time he reached the landing at the top, Mokuba was quite winded and slowed to a normal walk for the rest of the short journey to Seto's room.

"Seto, is it okay if Yugi and I order the pizza…?" Mokuba's voice trailed off as he opened the door to his brother's bedroom.  Although Seto had leapt off Joey with lightning-fast reflexes when he heard the doorknob turn, Mokuba was a smart kid and quickly put together what had been going on moments before he walked in.  "Ew, gross!" Mokuba proclaimed, scrunching his nose and turning back the way he came.

            "Mokuba, wait!" Kaiba shouted, following his brother into the hallway and leaving a very dazed Joey in his bedroom.  

            Grabbing Mokuba by the elbow, Kaiba knelt so that he was eye-level with his younger brother.  "Mokuba, what you just saw –"

            "Was disgusting," Mokuba finished.  "Kissing's gross.  The next time you kiss Joey, would you please lock your door so that I don't accidentally see it?"  Kaiba looked at his brother with a half-stunned, half-amused expression on his face.  "Joey, what kind of pizza toppings do you like?" Mokuba asked over Kaiba's shoulder, making it obvious that Joey had been listening to their little brotherly chat.

            "Um, I'll eat anything.  But you'd better ask Yugi, he's kind of picky about what goes into his stomach."

            Kaiba stood as Mokuba bounded off towards the stairs.  Turning, he saw that Joey had a very amused look on his face.  "What's so funny, mutt?" Kaiba asked, immediately going into defensive mode.

            "Can we go back into your room?" Joey asked seductively.  "I promise to lock the door this time," he added, walking slowly to where Kaiba stood rooted in place.  Just as Kaiba was trying to decide what to do this time, he was saved from contemplation by a shout from downstairs that obviously came from Yugi.

            "Joey and Kaiba were WHAT?"


	4. Chapter Four

Never Second Rate - Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh!

Throwing open the door to his bedroom, Yugi marched in a few paces ahead of Joey. Flipping the video game console on and sitting at the edge of his bed he began playing a game as an obvious attempt to ignore Joey.

"Dude -"

"Just a minute."

"But I -"

"Hold on a sec."

"Can't I just -"

"No, I don't want to know why you were kissing Seto freaking Kaiba!" Yugi shouted, his grip on the video game controller tightening further.

"Please don't be mad," Joey said quietly, casting his eyes to the carpet beneath the bed he was presently sitting on.

Tossing the controller to Joey and flopping back on the bed beside him, Yugi sighed. "Your turn."

Looking back at his friend, Joey reluctantly picked the controller up and tried to imitate normalcy by taking his turn at the game they were playing. "I just wish you would listen to me for a minute."

"Look," Yugi started, throwing one arm over his face to cover his eyes. "I'm not mad that you kissed Kaiba. I'm mad that you didn't even tell me you were, you know..."

"I'm not gay, if that's what you mean," Joey snapped defensively.

"Then what else do you call it when you make out with dudes?" Yugi asked, peeking out from under his sleeve.

Joey stopped with his mouth open, words hanging silently in limbo on his lips, as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation to that question. "I'm just, um, well, Kaiba's more like a girl, anyway."

Raising one eyebrow Yugi sat up and faced Joey squarely. The beginnings of a smile snuck onto Yugi's face as he tried to fight back his laughter. Bursting into giggles, both boys lost interest in the game that had been their attempted distraction from serious conversation.

"So what's it like to be Seto Kaiba's boyfriend?"

"Shut up, he's obviously not my boyfriend since he kicked us out of his house immediately after the fact."

"Okay, then what's it like being Seto Kaiba's bitch?" Yugi asked cheekily, earning him a pillow in the face.

"Joey Wheeler is nobody's bitch! If anything, Kaiba'd be MY bitch!"

"Ooh, I wonder how he'll feel when he finds out about this!"

"Don't you dare tell him I said anything!"

"Alright! Blackmail!"

_Meanwhile..._

Seto Kaiba glared mercilessly at the computer at which he was trying to get his work done at. The numbers and letters in front of him were apparently not having the desired affect on his mind, since his thoughts were still racing to what had transpired only hours before on the second floor of his home. It seemed that in trying to make friends and hopefully add a nice new element into his life, Kaiba had only succeeded in making things much more complicated than they needed to be. If he had only stuck to the cold-hearted tight-ass that everybody thought they knew, he wouldn't be in such a mess now.

What if Joey took what had happened as more than it was? Or worse, what if Kaiba himself had?


	5. Breaking the Silence

Joey stood in front of his house in the crisp air, staring down at his hands. The pristine snow had already melted, leaving ruddy patches of mud that had been hiding beneath the surface. It seemed as though the entire world were melting, left dirty, sodden, and cold. Joey toed the helmet resting on the steps next to his feet, and tried to think about nothing.

Joey perked his ears up as he heard the whining engine of Tristan's motorcycle make its way through his neighborhood. He had not felt like walking in the cold this morning, and Tristan was more than happy to swing by on his way to school whenever Joey needed a ride. Deep in his own thoughts, it was all Joey could do to muster a smile when Tristan pulled next to the curb and pulled off his helmet. Pulling his own helmet over his head and fastening the strap beneath his chin, Joey climbed behind Tristan and rested his hands on his hips. Without a word, the two boys flew off in the direction of school.

It's nice how when you're on a motorcycle there's no need for small talk or frivolous conversation. The rush of wind flying past and the insulation of the helmets prevent the need to fill the empty space with the sound of voices, and for this Joey was grateful. His thoughts wandered to the previous week, when Seto had more or less forced Joey to see that their friendship had certainly taken a turn in a different direction. A direction that both excited and terrified Joey.

And then there was Tristan. Joey was surprised that sitting behind his friend on the motorcycle was not making his heart race as fast or his stomach tie itself in knots so bad. The excitement he felt by hanging on to Tristan was mild compared to the electricity he had felt when Seto had pinned his elbows behind him. Maybe his crush on Tristan had just been a safe outlet for his desire to find a boy to love. Maybe he just loved being in love, and his close friendship with Tristan had provided him with the perfect situation on which to dwell.

Deep in thought, Joey barely realized when they had pulled into the parking lot of school. Stepping off of the bike, Joey glanced around the parking lot. He saw the red Jaguar that Seto had let him drive parked in its usual manner a few rows away. Joey had somehow expected Seto to not be in school today. Maybe it wasn't so much that he expected it as he had hoped it. Things had been undeniably awkward between the two boys, which was exacerbated by Yugi's giggling any time he saw the two in the same room together.

Waving a thanks to Tristan, who headed in the opposite direction to find some friend or another, Joey hiked his backpack further up on his shoulders and tucked his helmet under his arm. Joey's long strides found him near his locker in no time. He pulled the metal door open and began trying to make room for his helmet.

"Good morning," a breezy voice said behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Kaiba's eyes sweep down and rest on the helmet at Joey's feet.

"Mornin'," Joey mumbled. He tried to ignore the apparent glare in Kaiba's eyes at the sight of the helmet – an obvious sign that Joey had been with Tristan that morning.

Kaiba continued to his locker, opening it and pulling out his typical notebook and pen. Joey crammed the helmet into his locker, trying to quickly get it out of view. He slammed his locker door shut, capturing a few pieces of notebook paper in the door in his hurry to block the inevitable avalanche of junk that was threatening to fall out of the locker. Kaiba shut his locker at the same time, and the two stood for a moment facing each other, not allowing their eyes to meet.

The bell rang overhead, reminding the students that it was time to make their way into the classrooms. Joey and Kaiba remained where they were, neither wanting to break the silence but at the same time not wanting to be the one to leave.

The second bell rang, signaling the beginning of class and breaking Kaiba out of his strange trance. Looking around, he realized that the other students had already deserted the halls, and that he and Joey were alone.

"So," Joey said, taking a cue from Kaiba's movement and breaking the silence. "I really don't get you."

When he realized that nothing more would be said, Kaiba looked at Joey. "How's that?"

"One minute we hate each other, the next we're friends and having what I thought was a pretty cool time, then you act like you like me, and then you won't talk to me. It's really confusing, man." Joey did not let his eyes leave his friend's, waiting for a response. Any response would be okay at this point. Even an "_I hate you"_ would at least finally put an end to all this confusion.

Uncharacteristically chewing on his bottom lip, Kaiba turned on his heel and headed in the direction of his first class. "I won't be a second rate backup." He called into the silent hallways, waiting for Joey to follow him to class so that they could continue their conversation and finally figure out what was going on.

Taking a deep breath, Joey turned in the other direction, and headed out the school doors into the chilling winter air.


End file.
